Method and apparatus for providing a proof of delivery verification for freight transportation systems

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for providing a proof of delivery verification for freight transportation systems. A vehicle transmits an indication of arrival at a destination. A remote station receives the indication and validates the arrival of the vehicle. If the arrival is validated, a proof of delivery verification of a delivery associated with the arrival is provided to a shipper, carrier, or other interested party.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/798,481 filedMar. 2, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,133 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR PROVIDING A PROOF OF DELIVERY VERIFICATION FOR FREIGHTTRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS.

BACKGROUND

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the freight transportationindustry and more particularly to a method and apparatus for providingproof of delivery verification for use in such freight transportationsystems.

II. Description of the Related Art

Throughout much of the world today, the primary transportation systemused to move goods from one location to another is by tractor-trailervehicles. Such vehicles provide trucking companies, or carriers as theyare known, with the capability and flexibility to transport largeamounts of goods to multiple destinations efficiently.

In a typical transaction, a carrier is called upon to transport goodsfrom one location to another by a customer, otherwise known as ashipper. Examples of shippers might include almost any manufacturer ofgoods. The shipper provides delivery instructions to the carriercomprising details of the shipment, including, for example, when andwhere to pick up the goods and where to ship them. Generally, theseinstructions are provided to the carrier and the carrier dispatches avehicle to transport the goods. The instructions pertaining to theshipment are provided to vehicle operator in the form of a documentcommonly referred to as a “bill of lading”. The bill of lading may alsoprovide other pertinent information concerning the shipment, such as adescription and quantity of the goods being shipped.

The vehicle arrives at the shipper and is loaded with goods inaccordance with the bill of lading. After the vehicle has been loaded,the vehicle operator may secure the goods by locking an access door,such as a roll-down door of a trailer. In addition, a seal may beinstalled proximate to the door to prove that the door was not openedduring transit.

When the vehicle arrives at the intended destination, commonly known asa consignee, the trailer door is unlocked and the seal is broken, ifthese were used by the vehicle operator. The goods are then unloaded andreceived by the consignee. The consignee will generally sign the bill oflading signifying that the goods were received and also denoting thetime and date of the delivery. The signed bill of lading is thengenerally given to the vehicle operator.

The vehicle operator then departs the consignee. However, instead ofreturning directly to the carrier, he or she may proceed to anotherpick-up destination. In many cases, the vehicle operator will be manyhundreds of miles away from the carrier or a branch office associatedwith the carrier, making a direct return impractical. Thus, in manyinstances, the vehicle operator continues to make other pick-ups anddeliveries of goods before returning to the dispatch center. It may takeseveral days or even weeks before the vehicle operator returns to thedispatch center.

The carrier is generally paid for the delivery by submitting an invoiceto the shipper after the delivery is made. The invoice typicallyincludes a copy of the signed bill of lading. In most cases, the signedbill of lading is an extremely important document, as it evidences proofof delivery for the accompanying invoice. Many consignees will not paysuch an invoice without a copy of the signed bill of lading or similardocument evidencing delivery.

Unfortunately, the delay in obtaining signed bills of lading fromvehicle operators introduces many problems for carriers. The bills oflading are sometimes lost or destroyed, or they may become unreadable. Acomplicated accounting process must be used to match invoices to theirrespective bills of lading. Most importantly, the delay in returning thebill of lading to the carrier by the vehicle operator means a delay ofpayment from the consignee.

What is needed is an efficient method and apparatus for quicklyproviding a proof of delivery verification to various parties involvedin the transportation of goods to eliminate the just-mentioned problems.Ideally, the method and apparatus should be able to prove that the goodswere not accessed during transit without the use of seals, which aregenerally easily compromised.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus forproviding a proof of delivery verification for freight transportationsystems. In one embodiment, the proof of delivery verification comprisesa method, the method comprising the steps of transmitting a validationrequest message upon the arrival of a vehicle at a destination, saidvalidation request message comprising information pertaining to thearrival of the vehicle. The validation request is received by a remotestation which verifies whether or not the arrival of the vehiclecorresponds to a record of an expected shipment. If the arrival of thevehicle matches the expected shipment information, a proof of deliveryverification is generated and provided to an interested party associatedwith the delivery.

In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to anapparatus, the apparatus comprising a remote station for receiving amessage that a vehicle has arrived at a destination. A processorassociated with the remote station validates the arrival against anexpected delivery record stored in a database. If a record is foundmatching the information relating to the message, the arrival isvalidated and a proof of delivery verification is generated. Theapparatus further comprises means for providing the proof of deliveryverification to an interested party.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, objects, and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the detailed description set forth below whentaken in conjunction with the drawings in which like referencecharacters identify correspondingly throughout and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the various elements involved in providing a proof ofdelivery verification in a land vehicle application using a mobilecommunication device;

FIG. 2 illustrates the various components used in conjunction with thevehicle of FIG. 1 in one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating one method for providing a proofof delivery verification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus forproviding a proof of delivery verification for freight transportationsystems. Although the present invention is described within the contextof the trucking industry using a satellite-based wireless communicationsystem, it should be understood that the present invention may be usedalternatively, or in conjunction with, other communication systems, suchas in a terrestrial-based wireless communication systems, or a datacommunication network, such as the Internet. In addition, the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the trucking industry, butcould be used in any industry to provide a proof of deliveryverification, including the railroad industry, the shipping industry, orthe air freight industry.

FIG. 1 illustrates the various elements involved in providing a proof ofdelivery verification in a land vehicle application using a mobilecommunication device. Vehicle 100, in this embodiment, comprises atractor-trailer, commonly used in the long-haul trucking industry. Inother embodiments, vehicle 100 could alternatively comprise other typesof land vehicles, such as a pick-up truck, a courier vehicle commonlyused by such delivery companies such as Federal Express of Memphis,Tenn. and United Parcel Service of Atlanta, Ga. Vehicle 100 could alsoalternatively comprise a water-based vessel, such as a boat or a ship,or even an aircraft.

Vehicle 100 comprises a mobile communication terminal (MCT, not shown)for communicating with a remote station 102. The MCT resides onboard atractor portion of vehicle 100, in one embodiment. Remote station 102comprises a central processing center, otherwise known as a “hub” andserves as a central communication point between all vehicles having anMCT and their respective dispatch centers, or other designatedoffice(s). In another embodiment, remote station 102 comprises adispatch center relating to a single entity, such as a carrier dispatchcenter, whereby communications would be directed from vehicle 100directly to each dispatch center corresponding to each vehicle. Inanother embodiment, remote station 102 comprises a transceiver and aprocessing unit located a distance away from vehicle 100, includingbeing located at other vehicles, truckstops, consignees, or otherpredetermined locations.

The MCT transmits and receives communications wirelessly using, in oneembodiment, a satellite 104. In other embodiments, the MCT uses aterrestrial wireless communication system to communicate with remotestation 102, such as an analog or a digital cellular telephone system,or a wireless data communication network, such as a cellular digitalpacket data (CDPD) network. Regardless of the method of wirelesscommunications used, either a shipper 106 or a consignee 108 initiatescontact with carrier 110 for the purpose of picking up goods from onelocation and delivering the goods to a destination. Consignee 108comprises any entity, such as a business or an individual, capable ofreceiving goods. Shipper 106 comprises an individual or a business,having goods to ship. Carrier 110 comprises an individual or a businessfor providing transportation services to pick up goods from shipper 106to consignee 108. Carrier 110 comprises a trucking company in oneembodiment, typically comprising a number of vehicles 100 for thepurpose of delivering goods between various shippers 106 and consignees108.

Carrier 110 may be contacted by a shipper 106, by a consignee 108, or byan authorized third party, such as a third party logistics provider 114,to arrange for the delivery of goods from shipper 106 to consignee 108.Third party logistics provider 114 is well known in the transportationindustry for providing logistic services, such as scheduling andbilling, to carriers, shippers, and consignees. From this communication,the details of the shipment are provided to carrier 110, such as thelocation of the shipper, the date and time of the pick-up, the locationof the destination, the desired date and time of delivery, and theamount and type of goods to be transported. Typically, a documentevidencing the shipment details is generated by carrier 110, known as a“bill of lading” in the trucking industry. Other industries may use thesame or similar methods of documenting details of the shipment.

Also at this time, an electronic record of the expected delivery may becreated by carrier 110 and stored in a database. In another embodiment,the record is created by remote station 102. The database may be locatedat carrier 110, third party logistics provider 114, or at remote station102. The record comprises information relating to the expected delivery,such as a vehicle identification code corresponding to a vehicleassigned to handle the delivery, a description and quantity of the goodsbeing shipped, a purchase order number, a bill of lading number, anexpected delivery time and date, a destination location, a name of aconsignee, and a shipping code. The shipping code may be used touniquely identify the delivery and is used to validate an actualdelivery of goods to the consignee.

After carrier 110 has been given the necessary details of a shipment,one or more vehicles in carrier 110's fleet of vehicles is dispatched toshipper 106 to pick up the shipment. This may be accomplished bywirelessly transmitting a message to vehicle 100 or by physicallyproviding the bill of lading to a vehicle operator at carrier 110 or abranch office of carrier 110. Once the vehicle operator has been giventhe bill of lading, he or she directs vehicle 100 to shipper 106.

When vehicle 100 arrives at shipper 106, the goods are loaded intovehicle 100 for transport to consignee 108. The goods may be securedinside vehicle 100 by means of an electronic locking device (not shown),discussed later herein. The locking device may be activated manually bythe vehicle operator, or it may be activated based on a status or alocation of vehicle 100, or a combination of things. For example, thevehicle operator may transmit a message to remote station 102 using theMCT indicating that the goods are loaded and that vehicle 100 isproceeding to consignee 108. In response to the message, the electroniclocking device activates until a second message is transmitted by thevehicle operator indicating that he or she has arrived at consignee 108.The location of vehicle 100 may be used alternatively, or in conjunctionwith, the messages transmitted by the vehicle operator. For example, theelectronic locking device may be activated/deactivated based on thelocation of the vehicle (i.e., at shipper 106, in route, or at consignee108). The operation of the electronic locking device is discussed laterherein.

Vehicle 100 travels along route 112 to arrive at consignee 108. Route112 is typically many miles long and may or may not place vehicle 100 inclose proximity to carrier 110. Generally, the electronic locking deviceremains in a locked position, preventing access to the goods.

When vehicle 100 arrives at consignee 108, the electronic locking deviceis deactivated, allowing the vehicle operator and/or consignee access tothe goods inside vehicle 100. The locking device may be deactivatedmanually be the vehicle operator, or by a status and/or location ofvehicle 100. In one embodiment, an agent of consignee 108 confirmsdelivery by providing a shipment code to the vehicle operator, which inturn deactivates the locking device. In another embodiment, the agentcontacts an authorized party directly to validate the arrival of vehicle100, by telephone, email, web-browser, facsimile, or other means. Inanother embodiment, the shipment code is used in conjunction with thelocation of vehicle 100 as provided by a position determination systemto confirm that vehicle 100 has indeed arrived at consignee 108.

In any event, the electronic locking device is deactivated, and thegoods are unloaded from vehicle 100 to consignee 108. Typically, theagent of consignee 108 manually signs the bill of lading, provingreceipt of the goods. In one embodiment, in addition to signing the billof lading, the agent provides the shipment code to the vehicle operator,providing an indication that the goods were delivered. A validationrequest message may then be transmitted via the MCT to remote station102, indicating delivery of the goods and requesting the delivery to bevalidated, thus generating a proof of delivery verification. Remotestation 102, or an authorized third party, such as third party logisticsprovider 114, then validates the validation request and generates aproof of delivery verification which is sent to an interested party,such as shipper 106, consignee 108, a third party logistics provider, orcarrier 110, using convention communication means, such as viatelephone, a dedicated link, or the Internet. Carrier 110 can thenimmediately send an invoice to either shipper 106 or consignee 108,along with an indication of the proof of delivery verification, ifnecessary. The proof of delivery verification may contain pertinentinformation of the delivery, such as the date and time of delivery, aswell as an identification of vehicle 100, a bill of lading number, orother information. The ability to provide a proof of deliveryverification to interested parties enables carrier 110 to be paid morequickly as opposed to waiting for the vehicle operator to deliver theactual signed bill of lading to carrier 110.

FIG. 2 illustrates the various components used in conjunction withvehicle 100 in one embodiment of the present invention. Vehicle 100comprises a wireless transceiver for communicating with remote station102, known as a Mobile Communication Terminal (MCT) 200. MCT 200 maysend and receive voice or text messages. In one embodiment, MCT 200comprises an OmniTRACS® satellite transceiver manufactured by QualcommIncorporated of San Diego, Calif., however, MCT 200 could alternativelycomprise a digital or analog cellular transceiver.

Typically, MCT 200 additionally comprises a keyboard and a display forallowing the vehicle operator to send and receive text messages. Inother embodiments, MCT 200 is coupled to a variety of sensors throughoutvehicle 100 to monitor the various vehicle functions, such as vehiclespeed, rpm, driver status, and the like. In yet another embodiment, MCT200 resides entirely onboard a trailer of vehicle 100.

The location of vehicle 100 may be determined by position detector 202.Although position detector 202 is shown as a separate element in FIG. 2,it should be understood that position detector 202 could alternativelybe incorporated within MCT 200. In one embodiment, position detector 202comprises a Global Position Satellite (GPS) receiver capable ofdetermining the location of vehicle 100 within several meters or less.The use of GPS receivers to determine vehicle position is well known inthe art. Other means for determining the position of vehicle 100 couldbe used in the alternative, such as by using a LORAN-C position locationsystem, or a dead reckoning system. In another embodiment, the positionof vehicle 100 is not determined by position detector 202 but rather bya system and method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,926 entitled “DUALSATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM”, assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention and incorporated by reference herein. In such a system, theposition of vehicle 100 is determined by measuring a time delay betweenreceipt of a signal from vehicle 100 through a pair of satellites. Theposition of vehicle 100 is thus calculated at remote station 102 andthen, if necessary, provided to vehicle 100.

The location of vehicle 100 is generally provided to MCT 200 so that thevehicle position can be transmitted to remote station 102 when needed.It is also generally provided to allow a processor associated with MCT200 to determine when to activate and de-activate electronic lockingdevice 204. In another embodiment, the vehicle position is provideddirectly to electronic locking device 204 to determine when to operateelectronic locking device 204.

Electronic locking device 204 provides security for goods which havebeen loaded onto vehicle 100. Typically, electronic locking device 204comprises an electro-mechanical device 208 which allows a trailer doorof vehicle 100 to be locked or unlocked. Electro-mechanical device 208typcially comprses an electric motor which casues a mechanical elementto move in response to an electrical signal.

The trailer door can be locked and unlocked by applying an appropriateelectronic signal to electronic locking device 204, generally from MCT200. However, in another embodiment, the electronic signal is generateddirectly by a processor 210 associated with electronic locking device204. In this embodiment, electronic locking device 204 comprises akeypad 212 for entry of an alpha-numeric code to lock and unlock thetrailer door. When the correct code is entered via the keypad, amechanical locking mechanism associated with electronic locking device204 is operated, thereby unlocking the trailer door. The code may beused in conjunction with a vehicle position as determined by positiondetector 202. For example, electronic locking device 204 may bede-activated by applying the correct code while vehicle 100 is at apredetermined location, such as at consignee 108. The keypad can also beused to lock the trailer door in a similar fashion.

The alpha-numeric code is typically generated by carrier 110, remotestation 102, or third party logistics provider 114 and provided to thevehicle operator, however, in another embodiment, the alpha-numeric codeis given to an agent of consignee 108 so that the trailer door can onlybe unlocked by the agent at consignee 108. In this embodiment,electronic locking device 204 is programmable to allow a uniquealpha-numeric code to be used with each delivery by vehicle 100. In thiscase, the alpha-numeric code may be provided wirelessly to electroniclocking device 204 via remote station 102. Remote station 102, or otherauthorized party, additionally provides the code to consignee 108 usingconventional communication techniques, such as by telephone, email, orfacsimile.

In another embodiment, the electronic signal for controlling electroniclocking device 204 is generated using the position reported by positiondetector 202. Generally, a current position of vehicle 100 is comparedto the pick-up location and/or destination location provided todetermine when to operate electronic locking device 204. The pick-uplocation and destination is provided to MCT 200 and/or electroniclocking device 204 in one of several possible ways. The pick-up anddestination location can be transmitted to MCT 200 by remote station 102and stored in an electronic memory of MCT 200 (not shown).Alternatively, after the pick-up and destination locations have beenprovided to MCT 200, they may be stored in a memory 206 associated withelectronic locking device 204. In another embodiment, position reportsbased on position detector 202 may be transmitted to remote station 102,or other authorized party, such as third party logistics provider 114,where the present vehicle position is compared to the pick-up anddestination locations. If remote station 102, or other authorized party,determines that vehicle 100 is within a predetermined distance from thepick-up or destination location, an indication of the arrival, such asan unlock message, is transmitted to MCT 200. This information may beused to activate or de-activate electronic locking device 204.Alternatively, the pick-up and destination information can be enteredinto MCT 200 directly by the vehicle operator via a keyboard, keypad, orother suitable device, and stored either within MCT 200 or in memory206. Finally, this information may be entered via keypad 212 and storedin memory 206.

If the pick-up and destination information is stored directly withinelectronic locking device 204, the vehicle position is periodicallyprovided either by MCT 200 or by position detector 202 to a processor(not shown) associated with electronic locking device. The processorthen compares the vehicle position to the pick-up and destinationinformation to determine if vehicle 100 is located at either one ofthese locations. If so, and in other embodiments, depending on otherconstraints as discussed below, the processor generates a signal whichunlocks or unlocks the trailer door, as the case may be.

In embodiments where the pick-up and destination information is storedwithin MCT 200, periodic vehicle positions are provided by positiondetector 202 or by remote station 102 and compared with the pick-up anddestination information by a processor associated with MCT 200. Ifvehicle 100 is within a predetermined distance from either the pick-upor destination locations, a control signal is generated by the processorassociated with MCT 200 and provided to electronic locking device 204which controls the locking mechanism and, hence, access to the goodsonboard vehicle 100. In other embodiments, the control signal isgenerated as a result of calculations involving more than the vehicleposition and pick-up/destination information, as described below.

In one embodiment, the control signal comprises two signals, a locksignal and an unlock signal. The lock signal is provided to electroniclocking device 204 causing it to lock a vehicle door, for example. Theunlock signal causes electronic locking device 204 to unlock the door.In another embodiment, the control signal comprises a single signalwhich causes a state change in electronic locking device 204. Forexample, the first time the control signal is applied to electroniclocking device 204, the vehicle door is locked. The next time thecontrol signal is applied to electronic locking device 204, the vehicledoor is unlocked.

In one embodiment using two control signals (i.e., an unlock signal anda lock signal), an unlock signal may be provided to electronic lockingdevice 204 when it is determined that vehicle 100 has arrived at apick-up or destination location. In another embodiment, the unlocksignal is provided only when the arrival of vehicle 100 is validated byremote station 102, or other authorized party. The unlock signal may begenerated by MCT 200 or directly by electronic locking device 204, andinstructs electronic locking device 204 to unlock the trailer door. Alock signal is provided to electronic locking device 204 when it isdetermined that vehicle 100 is not at either a pick-up or destinationlocation.

The determination of whether or not vehicle 100 is at a pick-up ordestination location may be accomplished in a number of ways. In oneembodiment, the determination is made by simply comparing the presentvehicle position to either the pick-up or destination information, asexplained above. That is, if vehicle 100 is within a predetermineddistance from either location, vehicle 100 is determined to be at eitherthe pick-up, or destination, location. Accordingly, an unlock signal isprovided to electronic locking device 204, and the trailer door isunlocked. If vehicle 100 is not within the predetermined distance fromeither location, vehicle 100 is determined not to be at either a pick-upor destination location, and a lock signal is provided to electroniclocking device 204.

In another embodiment, an agent of consignee 108 determines arrival ofvehicle 100 simply by phsically inspecting the vehicle for the propershipment in accordance, generally, with a bill of lading or otherdocument. If the shipment is proper, the agent contacts an authorizedparty, such as third party logistics provider 114 or remote station 102,to request validation of the delivery. The agent may then providepertinent details concerning the delivery to the authorized party.

In another embodiment, vehicle 100 is declared to be at a pick-up ordestination location when vehicle 100 is within a predetermined distancefrom the pick-up or destination location and vehicle 100 has been atthat location for more than a predetermined time period. Otherwise,vehicle 100 is determined not to be at a pick-up or destinationlocation, and electronic locking device 204 remains locked.

In another embodiment, arrival is determined using the position ofvehicle 100 compared to the pick-up and destination information, as wellas the speed of vehicle 100. For example, if the speed of vehicle 100 isless than a predetermined speed for more the a predetermined amount oftime, and vehicle 100 is within a predetermined distance of either thepick-up or destination location, vehicle 100 is determined to be at apick-up or arrival location.

In other embodiments, the location of vehicle 100 may be determined byusing local radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) detectors located atconsignee 108 and other predefined destinations. Such an embodimentcomprises vehicle 100, or alternatively the goods being carried byvehicle 100, having an RF or IR identification tag. Such a tag isdetected by a sensing device located at predetermined locations, such asat a consignee. A vehicle identification, or an identification of goods,shipper, or destined consignee may be provided by the tag. When the tagis detected, the information is used to declare an arrival of vehicle100, and an indication of the arrival is provided to remote station 102,or other authorized party, using techniques well known in the art, suchas by providing the arrival indication via telephone, email, facsimile,radio transmissions, etc. In a related embodiment, a wireless local areanetwork (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) is used to detect arrival ofvehicle 100 at consignee 108 or other location.

The locking signal may be provided to electronic locking device 204 whenit is determined that vehicle 100 contains goods, as determined by acargo sensor onboard vehicle 100 (not shown) and that vehicle 100 is “intransit”. The “in transit” status can be declared when vehicle 100 is apredetermined distance from a pick-up or destination location, or whenthe speed of vehicle 100 is greater than a predetermined speed, or acombination of both. Alternatively, the vehicle operator can transmit amessage using MCT 200 indicating that the vehicle is leaving the pick-uplocation on the way to the destination.

The lock and unlock signals may be generated in ways which do notinvolve the use of position sensor 202. For example, these signals maybe generated directly by electronic locking device 204 in conjunctionwith a keypad, or other input device. In this embodiment, a shipmentcode is provided to either the vehicle operator or an agent of consignee108. When the vehicle arrives at a pick-up or destination location, theoperator or agent enters the shipment code using the keypad, therebygenerating an unlock signal which unlocks the vehicle door. The shipmentcode may be used in conjunction with the location of the vehicle. Forexample, the lock signal is generated only if vehicle 100 is atconsignee 108 and the correct shipment code is entered. Of course, themethods just described to unlock the vehicle door may also be used tolock it.

A lock signal may be generated any time vehicle 100 is traveling morethen a predetermined speed, as determined by a speed sensor, atachometer, or a GPS-based determination that the vehicle is in transit.In other embodiments, the time taken to travel a predetermined distancecould also be used to determine the speed of vehicle 100.

In another embodiment, an unlock signal is generated by MCT 200 when thevehicle operator transmits a message to remote station 102 indicatingarrival at a pick-up or destination location. Similarly, a lock signalis generated by MCT 200 when the vehicle operator transmits a message toremote station 102 indicating departure from a pick-up or a destinationlocation. In these cases, the type of control signal (i.e., lock orunlock) is generated by knowing the type of message (i.e., arriving,departing) transmitted by MCT 200.

As shown above, there are a number of factors that can be used todetermine when to lock and unlock electronic locking device 204,including vehicle position, vehicle speed, vehicle RPM, time, existenceof goods within the vehicle, and human interaction. It should beunderstood that the lock signal and the unlock signal may be generatedusing a combination of the above-discussed methods, or other methods andfactors not specifically disclosed herein. It should be furtherunderstood that the determination of when to lock and unlock electroniclocking device 204 can be made by remote staiton 102, third partylogistics provider 114, or other authorized party.

A proof of delivery verification can be quickly provided to shipper 106or other interested party once arrival of vehicle 100 at consignee 108is validated by remote station 102, or other authorized party, asdescribed below. The proof of delivery verification can be used inconjunction with electronic locking device 204 in alternate embodiments.Validation is generally accomplished by comparing informationtransmitted to remote station 102 to an expected delivery recordcontained in a database. If the information contained in the expecteddelivery record matches information contained or deduced from thevalidation request message, the arrival of vehicle 100 is validated,thereby validating that the goods were delivered.

In one embodiment, a shipment code is generated either by remote station102, or other authorized party, such as by third party logisticsprovider 114 or by carrier 110, and then provided to consignee 108. Theshipment code may be unique to the particular consignee, allowing it tobe used for multiple deliveries. Or it may be load specific, i.e., itmay only be used in conjunction with a specific shipment. The shipmentcode may comprise a single alpha-numeric code or it may comprise two ormore related alpha-numeric codes, for example, a username and apassword. In one embodiment, a username comprises the name of aconsignee and the password comprises an identification code identifyinga particular shipment of goods, for example, a bill of lading number, apurchase order number, or other unique identifier.

When vehicle 100 arrives at consignee 108, the vehicle operatortypically reports to an agent of consignee 108 to notify the agent thatvehicle 100 has arrived with a load of goods as specified in a bill oflading or other similar document. Upon inspection of vehicle 100, theagent can determine whether to accept delivery of the goods, based on anumber of factors, such as the quality of the goods, or simply whetherthe goods are in conformance with the bill of lading.

If the agent accepts the goods, they are typically unloaded from vehicle100 and the delivery is completed. The agent will typically sign thebill of lading, evidencing acceptance and delivery of the goods. Inaddition, the agent will provide the consignee's shipment code to thevehicle operator. The vehicle operator enters the shipment code into MCT200 and transmits a validation request message to remote station 102indicating delivery of goods identified by the bill of lading or otheridentifying information and also to request that arrival of vehicle 100be validated so that a proof of delivery verification can be generated.In one embodiment, the validation request message comprises the shipmentcode and information to identify the shipment, such as a vehicleidentification number, a purchase order number, or a bill of ladingnumber. The identity of the shipment may also be deduced by examiningthe shipment code, the date, time, and/or location of vehicle 100. Inone embodiment, the message, or just the shipment code, is encrypted byMCT 200 using one of several known techniques. The message, or just theshipment code, may further be “digitally signed” using techniques knownin the art to provide authentication of the message or shipment code. Inan alternative embodiment, the agent enters the shipment code into MCT200 himself so that the vehicle operator does not have access to thecode.

When the validation request message is received by remote station 102,it is either processed at remote station 102 or it is forwarded to anauthorized party, such as third party logistics provider 114, forprocessing. In either case, a processor associated with remote station102 or authorized third party examines it to determine whether thearrival of vehicle 100 corresponds to an expected delivery, as providedby a database. In one embodiment, arrival of vehicle 100 is validatedsimply if the shipment code is found in the database. In thisembodiment, the shipment code corresponds to a particular shipment. Ifthe shipment code is found in the database, it indicates that theshipment is outstanding. When a shipping code is found, validation issuccessful and the record is removed from the database.

In other embodiments, validation is performed by examining otherinformation contained in the validation request message or informationdeduced by receipt of the verification request message itself. Forexample, the vehicle position, vehicle identification, and/or time anddate of arrival at consignee 108 can be used to validate the arrival ofvehicle 100. In these embodiments, the database is accessed to retrievean expected shipment record corresponding to this information. Therecord is compared to the information to determine if the arrival ofvehicle 100 corresponds to an expected delivery. If an expected shipmentrecord matches the verification request message, the arrival of vehicle100 is validated, and a proof of delivery verification is generated bythe processor and sent to a carrier identified by the verificationrequest, or the identity of the carrier may be provided by the record.The proof of delivery verification may comprise only the shipment code,the shipment code plus information identifying the shipment, or simplyan indication that a particular shipment was validated. If the shipmentcode was encrypted at MCT 200, it may be left encrypted for delivery tointerested parties if such interested parties are able to be identifiedby remote station 102. Remote station 102, or other authorized party,may also decrypt the shipment code and re-encrypt it for transmission tointerested parties. In one embodiment, if the shipment code was notencrypted by MCT 200, remote station 102 encrypts the shipment codeprior to delivery to interested or authorized parties.

In one embodiment, a vehicle identification code and a date and time ofarrival is used to verify the arrival of vehicle 100. In thisembodiment, the database is accessed to find a record corresponding tothe vehicle identification code. The vehicle identification codecomprises a vehicle identification number (VIN), an MCT identificationcode, a vehicle license plate number, or other unique identificationcode assigned to vehicle 100. If vehicle 100 comprises a multi-partvehicle, such as a tractor-trailer truck or a locamotive connected tomultiple freight cars, the vehicle identification may comprise anidentification code corresponding to one or more portions of themulti-part vehicle. For example, a tractor may have a uniqueidentification code assigned to it and its associated trailer may alsohave a unique identification code assigned. In this case, eitheridentification code could be used to identify vehicle 100, or bothidentification codes could be used.

If a record is found matching the vehicle identification code, and thedate of arrival matches an expected date of arrival in the record andthe time of arrival is within a predetermined time period of an expectedtime of arrival in the record, arrival of vehicle 100 is validated.

In another embodiment, the vehicle location and a date and time ofarrival is used to verify the arrival of vehicle 100. In thisembodiment, the vehicle location is used to search the database to finda record having an expected destination within a predetermined distancefrom the vehicle location. If such a record is found, and the date ofarrival matches an expected date of arrival in the record and the timeof arrival is within a predetermined time period of an expected time ofarrival in the record, arrival of vehicle 100 is validated.

In yet another embodiment, the vehicle location and a vehicleidentification code is used to verify the arrival of vehicle 100. Inthis embodiment, the vehicle location or the vehicle identification codeis used to find a record having an expected destination within apredetermined distance from the vehicle location or a record matchingthe vehicle identification code. If such a record is found, the arrivalof vehicle 100 is validated. This embodiment may be enhanced by alsocomparing the date of arrival to an expected date of arrival in therecord and a time of arrival to an expected time of arrival as shown inthe record. In this case, arrival of vehicle 100 is validated if thedate of arrival matches the expected date of arrival in the record andthe time of arrival is within a predetermined time period of theexpected time of arrival in the record.

The proof of delivery verification may be provided by telephone,facsimile, email, or other means. It may be provided automatically or byhuman intervention. The shipment code contained within the proof ofdelivery provides proof to the carrier that the identified delivery wascompleted. In another embodiment, simply receiving a proof of deliveryverification, along with information identifying the shipment, issufficient.

In another embodiment, the proof of delivery verification generated atremote station 102, or authorized third party, is provided directly tointerested parties. In this embodiment, the validation request messagereceived from MCT 200 is examined and compared to a record in thedatabase to determine the identity where to send the verification,either by examining the shipment code, or by other information containedwithin the message or database.

In another embodiment of the present invention, electronic lockingdevice 204 is used in conjunction with the proof of deliveryverification to authorize access to the goods stored in vehicle 100. Inthis embodiment, vehicle 100 arrives at consignee 108 with a load ofgoods generally identified by a bill of lading. Vehicle 100 compriseselectronic locking device 204 which prevents access to the goods bylocking a trailer door of vehicle 100.

The vehicle operator notifies an agent of consignee 108 that the vehiclehas arrived. The agent then provides a shipment code, as explainedabove, to the vehicle operator. The vehicle operator then transmits avalidation request message to remote station 102 indicating arrival atconsignee 108 and requesting validation of the arrival.

The validation request typically comprises the shipment code. Thevalidation request message implicitly comprises a request to de-activateelectronic locking device 204, thereby unlocking the vehicle door. Inanother embodiment, the agent provides the shipment code and otherinformation pertinent to the shipment directly to remote station 102 orto an authorized party by telephone, facsimile, email, etc. Thisinformation may be forwarded by various intested parties to anauthorized party to determine validation.

If the validation request message is successfully validated, theauthorized party generates and provides a proof of delivery verificationto interested parties, such as shipper 106 and/or carrier 110. Carrier110 may then immediately get paid for the delivery. In addition, anunlock signal may be transmitted from remote station 102 to MCT 200,instructing a processor associated with MCT 200 to unlock electroniclocking device 204.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for providing a proof ofdelivery verification. In step 300 vehicle 100 is dispatched to shipper106 to pick up a load of goods to be delivered to consignee 108.Generally, the vehicle operator is notified of the specifics of thedelivery, such as the type and quantity of goods, and the expected dayand time of arrival at consignee 108. In step 302, a record of theexpected delivery is created and stored in a database.

In step 304, the vehicle arrives at shipper 106. In step 306, if vehicle100 comprises electronic locking device 204, an unlock signal isprovided to electronic locking device 204 to gain access to a storagearea within vehicle 100, such as a trailer.

Electronic locking device 204 may be unlocked using one or more of thetechniques discussed above. Goods are then loaded onto vehicle 100.

In step 308, if electronic locking device 204 is used, a lock signal isprovided to electronic locking device 204 using one or more of thetechniques discussed above.

Access to the goods is then restricted. The trailer door remains lockedthroughout the journey to consignee 108.

In step 310, vehicle 100 arrives at consignee 108. An unlock signal isprovided to electronic locking device 204, allowing access to the goods,as shown in step 312.

The unlock signal may be generated using one or more of the techniquesdiscussed above. However, in one embodiment, the unlock signal is notprovided to electronic locking device 204 until the delivery isvalidated by remote station 102, or other authorized party. This processis shown as steps 314 through 320. The delivery is validated by sendinga validation request message to remote station 102 via MCT 200 or byanother method of communications, as shown in step 314. The validationrequest message generally comprises a shipment code and otherinformation identifying the arrival of vehicle 100 at consignee 108.

In step 316, the validation request message is received by remotestation 102 and either processed by remote station 102 or it isforwarded to an authorized party for validation. In step 318, aprocessor associated with remote station 102 or an authorized thirdparty validates the arrival of vehicle 100 generally by authenticatingthe message and/or shipment code and checking the other informationcontained in the validation request message to determine if the deliverycorresponds to an expected shipment. This is determined by the processoraccessing a database, located at remote station 102, at the consigneeidentified in the validation request message, or at an authorized thirdparty.

In one embodiment, if the arrival of vehicle 100 is validated, an unlockmessage is transmitted to vehicle 100 via remote station 102 and MCT200, thereby unlocking electronic locking device 204, permitting accessto the goods onboard vehicle 100.

In step 320, a proof of delivery verification is generated by theprocessor associated with remote station 102 or authorized party andprovided to interested parties, such as shipper 106 or consignee 108.

The previous description of the preferred embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the presentinvention. The various modifications to these embodiments will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principlesdefined herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use ofthe inventive faculty. Thus, the present invention is not intended to belimited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widestscope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosedherein.

1. A system for providing a proof of delivery verification for a freighttransportation system, comprising: means for determining a first vehicleposition; a mobile communication terminal coupled to said means fordetermining said first vehicle position for determining when saidvehicle has arrived at a destination, for generating a messageindicative of said arrival, and for transmitting said message, saidmessage comprising a shipment code comprising information relating to ashipment of goods carried by said vehicle; a remote monitoring station,comprising: a receiver for receiving said message; a database forstoring expected delivery information; a processor for retrieving arecord from said database corresponding to said vehicle and comparingsaid record to said shipment code, for validating a delivery of goodscorresponding to said message if said vehicle position is within apredetermined distance from an expected destination in said database andsaid shipment code substantially matches information contained in saidrecord, and for generating a proof of delivery verification if saiddelivery was validated; and means for providing said proof of deliverymessage to an interested party.
 2. The system of claim 1 furthercomprising; an electronic locking device located onboard said vehiclefor locking and unlocking a vehicle door, said electronic locking devicecontrolled by an electrical signal; wherein said processor furthergenerates an unlock message which is transmitted to said vehicle if saiddelivery was validated by said processor, said unlock message forgeneration an unlock signal which is provided to said electronic lockingdevice for unlocking said vehicle door.
 3. A system for providing aproof of delivery verification for a freight transportation system,comprising: a monitoring station including a receiver for receivingvehicle position information and a message indicative of an arrival ofsaid vehicle at a destination, said message comprising encrypted bill oflading information including a shipment code having information relatingto a shipment of goods carried by said vehicle; a database for storingexpected delivery information; a processor programmed to retrieve arecord from said database corresponding to said vehicle and compare saidrecord to said shipment code, said processor being further programmed tovalidate a delivery of goods corresponding to said message if saidvehicle position is within a predetermined distance from an expecteddestination and said database and said shipment code substantiallymatches information contained in said record, said processor beingadditionally programmed to generate a proof of delivery verification ifsaid delivery was validated.
 4. A system for providing a proof ofdelivery verification as recited in claim 3 wherein said message isdigitally signed.
 5. The system of claim 3 further comprising; anelectronic locking device located onboard said vehicle for locking andunlocking a vehicle door, said electronic locking device controlled byan electrical signal; wherein said mobile communication terminal, isfurther operable to receive an unlock message which is transmitted tosaid mobile communication terminal in connection with said deliverybeing validated.